


Finding The Right Future

by springsteenicious



Category: That '70s Show
Genre: F/M, Fantasy, Fix-It, Oracles, Time Travel, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:20:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26257048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/springsteenicious/pseuds/springsteenicious
Summary: After Chicago, Hyde starts driving to Las Vegas, planning to get over Jackie. His car nearly breaks down in Iowa, forcing him to stop. While he's there, he meets Fortune, a woman who will change the course of his life forever.Can he find his way back to Jackie?
Relationships: Jackie Burkhart/Steven Hyde
Comments: 16
Kudos: 62





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any rights to this show or these characters. Hemland, Iowa is a town I made up, not a real place. 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr at springsteenicious

Hyde could not believe his luck. Everything that had happened in the past four days had been hell. First, Jackie gave him an ultimatum. Second, she said she left before he could give her an answer. Third, she was still in Point Place when she should've been in Chicago. Fourth, he found her in a motel room with naked Kelso. 

Now fifth, something was wrong with his car. The El Camino kept making clunky noises when he drove. He couldn't figure out exactly what the problem was and he didn't want to risk a breakdown in the middle of the highway. 

After finding Jackie with Kelso, Hyde had started driving to Las Vegas. He had only gotten to Hemland, Iowa before he noticed the clunking. He pulled into the nearest auto shop, Piston Auto, and found a mechanic. The mechanic had checked out the car, asked Hyde a few questions, then told him to drive it into the garage so he could fix it. 

Now, Hyde was standing in a dirty waiting room while an even dirtier guy talked to the mechanic about the El Camino. The waiting room had dingy chairs that Hyde refused to sit in and a radio was playing a song that could barely be deciphered through the persistent sound of static. He was pretty sure it was ABBA's 'Knowing Me Knowing You.' 

_"Knowing -kshhhkshhk- you, a-ha -kshhhkshhk- we can do -kshhhkshhk-"_

Hyde hated this week. 

The dirty guy walked over to him. "Gus says it's gonna take about two hours to fix your Camino. It'll be about eighty bucks." 

Hyde sighed and took out his wallet. He had plenty of cash, so he forked over the eighty dollars. He had stupidly thought he would be staying with Jackie in   
Chicago for a while. The money he would've spent on Jackie was now going to a dirty mechanic. Yippee. 

The dirty guy put Hyde's money in the cash register, which was placed on a dusty wooden counter. Hyde wasn't sure what to do with himself, so he looked around at the peeling car posters on the walls. 

"Now, we don't mind you waiting here for your car, but you can leave and come back in two hours. There's plenty to do around here," the dirty guy said. 

"Uh-huh. I'll be back in two hours, then," Hyde said. He left the shop and walked down the street. He checked his watch. It was just past nine AM, so he would have to be back in the shop around eleven. 

Looking around, the dirty guy had lied. There was not 'plenty to do.' The auto shop was on the main street, so most of the shops and restaurants were nearby. The restaurants probably weren't open this early. Even if they were, Hyde wasn't that hungry. 

His best options were a thrift shop, a bookstore or a colorful shop that smelled like weed and had a neon sign claiming fortune tellers were inside. Hyde walked in the direction of the latter. He hadn't brought his stash with him, so maybe he could get some good stuff to pass the time. 

The inside of the shop was overwhelming, to say the least. Colorful blankets and curtains were draped on the walls. Beneath them was a purple shag carpet littered with pillows and cushions. An oriental rug was laid out under a majority of the cushions. The air was thick with smoke that smelled of weed and sandalwood incense. The lights were dim, mostly candles and twinkle lights. Hyde could barely see, so he took off his sunglasses and hooked them on the collar of his shirt. 

"Welcome, wayward traveler." The voice startled Hyde. He hadn't noticed the one other person in the shop, seated cross-legged on a cushion and staring at him. 

She had wildly curly hair and was wearing flowy, floral pants and a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt. She wasn't wearing any shoes. Tattooed rose vines wrapped around both her arms, disappearing under her short sleeves. 

"What can I do for you?" she asked. 

Hyde opened his mouth to respond, but she beat him to it. 

"No, we do not sell marijuana here. We just smoke it." She grinned at him in a slightly manic way. 

"How'd you know what I was gonna say?" Hyde asked. 

"I'm an oracle," she responded. 

"I don't believe in that magic, prophecy-telling crap," Hyde said. 

"You may not believe it now, but you will soon, Steven Hyde," she said. 

Holy shit. She knew his name. Maybe she really was an oracle. 

"Come sit with me," she said, patting the cushion across from her. Hyde checked his watch. He still had an hour and fifty minutes until he had to pick up the Camino. What did he have to lose? He walked over and sat down across from her. Up close, he noticed that she had a septum piercing and hauntingly clear bluish-white eyes. 

"My name is Fortune," she said. 

"Convenient name for an oracle," Hyde said. 

Fortune chuckled. Her laugh was deep and sultry, unlike Jackie's shrill giggles. He could hear her laughter in the back of his mind, calling forth a memory.

They had been in the basement together. It was just them, sitting on the couch and smoking a bit of Hyde' stash. He forgot what he had said, but she had laughed for a long time. He had watched her, transfixed by how beautiful and happy she looked in that moment. 

Hyde shook himself out of the memory. He couldn't be thinking about Jackie like that anymore. He had to get over her. 

Fortune leaned forward until there was less than a foot of space between them. When she spoke, Hyde smelled cinnamon on her breath. "Tell me about Jackie."

"Don't you already know about Jackie?" Hyde asked. She was an oracle, after all. 

"I'm an oracle, not a psychic. I can tell the future and I can do very limited mind-reading. You're not an easy mind to read, but the name Jackie is the loudest of your thoughts," Fortune said. 

Hyde thought about bailing. This lady knew too much about him and was getting too personal. He wouldn't be screwed over by some con-artist. 

But how was she screwing him over? She hadn't asked for money. She was just asking him to tell her about his problems. She didn't want anything in return, not that he knew of. Hyde had literally nothing to lose but his sanity, and that was slipping fast anyway. 

"Jackie was my girlfriend for two years. 'Bout a week ago she said if I didn't marry her, she'd go to Chicago. Then she left before I gave her an answer. I went to visit her in Chicago a few days later and I found her with her naked ex-boyfriend," Hyde said. 

"That must've hurt. What was he doing there?" Fortune had leaned back, no longer taking up Hyde's personal space.

"I don't know for sure. It seemed like Jackie was going back to him after what happened between us. Which she knows is the worst possible thing she could've done to me." Hyde was letting down all his walls to this random stranger. For some odd reason, he trusted her. It occurred to him that he had trusted her since the moment she first spoke. 

"Why was that the worst possible thing?" Fortune tilted her head like a curious dog. It reminded him of Schatzi when someone had a piece of salami. He should call Mrs. Forman when he was done with this. 

"She always goes back to him. When they were dating, he cheated on her a bunch and she still took him back. I'll never understand it," Hyde said. "Anyway, I left without letting her explain. I just started driving. I'm planning to go to Vegas, have some fun before going back home."

Fortune inhaled sharply. "Don't go to Vegas." 

"What? Why?" Hyde asked. 

"If you go to Las Vegas, you will never be with Jackie again," she said. 

"Whatever. I don't want her back. All she does is try to make me someone I'm not and pressure me into things I don't want to do. It's all pointless anyway because in the end she'll be with Kelso!" Hyde said. 

"I think we both know none of that is true," Fortune said. "You love Jackie and you were going to say yes and marry her." 

A controlled rage swelled in Hyde's chest. Who the hell was she to tell him how he felt? "It doesn't matter. I can't get back together with her unless I promise her we're going to get married. But I don't know if I'm really ready to do that. I have no way of knowing how we'll feel about each other in the future." 

"But I have a way of knowing. And I can share it with you." Fortune extended her hands, nodding her head towards them. Hyde cautiously put his hands in hers. "I'm going to show you five different possible futures. When I'm done, you can make your choice." 

"What if I don't want to see the future?" Hyde asked. 

"Hyde, I'm giving you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm giving you the chance to decide exactly what happens and make the right choice. Or the wrong one, if you want," Fortune said. 

"Okay." 

Fortune grinned. "You're going to feel a little numb, mostly in your fingers and jaw. You'll get used to it by the third or fourth future I show you. Ready?" 

Hyde nodded. Fortune gripped his hands tightly. Her hair floated up above her as her eyes turned pure white. The room started spinning at a rapid pace, making Hyde dizzy but also strangely peaceful. Colors blurred together as the fortune shop spun around. Hyde focused on Fortune, whose eyes were still ghostly white. 

And then the spinning stopped.


	2. II

The first thing Hyde registered was that he couldn't feel his hands. He couldn't feel the bottom of his face either. It didn't bother him as much as it should have. He finally understood the Pink Floyd song 'Comfortably Numb.' Particularly the lyric, _'my hands felt just like two balloons.'_

The second thing he registered was that he was standing in the Formans' living room, near the bookcase. Fortune stood next to him, smiling. 

The third thing he registered was that he was seated on the couch with Jackie. It was him, but it wasn't _him._

"There's two of me," Hyde said. 

"Yep. This is three weeks in the future, if you go to Las Vegas. Just watch and see what happens," Fortune said. 

Hyde watched himself and Jackie. 

"I'm right, I'm not ready to be married yet," future-Hyde said. 

"Yet? Oh, okay," future-Jackie said. 

Would she get back together with him even if he didn't propose right away? She would be content with him saying they would get married eventually? 

The doorbell rang. Future-Hyde and Jackie looked over as Mrs. Forman opened the door. A tall, blonde woman stood outside, holding a suitcase. 

"Hi, I'm looking for-" the woman spotted future-him, "Hyde!" The woman dropped her suitcase and rushed over to future-him. 

"Hey, Sam," future-him said.

"Who the hell is that?" Jackie asked. 

"This is Sam. She's a st… exotic dancer I met in Vegas," future-him said. "I'm sorry, what are you doing here?"

"You don't remember? We got married," Sam said. 

Hyde nearly screamed. Jackie actually did, running out of the room. Hyde turned to Fortune who was clicking her tongue and shaking her head at future-Hyde and Sam. 

"I call bullshit on this future, because I would never do that," Hyde said. It was true, he would never do something like that. He hated commitment. He didn't want to be married to anyone but Jackie. Why the hell he would commit to a stripper in Vegas was beyond him. 

"Well, it happens. You get black-out drunk with Sam your last night in Vegas. The two of you decide to get hitched and you're married by an Elvis impersonator. The next morning, you have no memory of the wedding. You decide to leave before you do anything stupid," Fortune said. She snickered. "Idiot." 

"Shut up. I haven't done any of that yet," Hyde said. 

"And hopefully you never will," Fortune said. 

"I don't know, I haven't seen the rest of this future yet," Hyde said. 

Fortune gave him a look that said, 'Are you serious?' But she grabbed his hand and snapped her fingers, bringing them to another moment in this future. 

Future-him was seated at the kitchen counter. Sam, Kitty and Red were standing on the other side. Kitty stepped forward. 

"Steven, honey, if this isn't what you want, you should say so now," she said. 

"Yeah, you should," Sam said. "Hyde, if you don't want me here, I'll pack up my things and leave tonight." 

Hyde turned to Fortune. "Well obviously I'm gonna tell her to leave." 

Fortune frowned. "You might be surprised." 

Hyde turned back to his future self, who said, "No, man, it's cool."

"What?" Hyde shouted. "This future is stupid. I would never do this stuff." 

"Would you shut up? I'm trying to show you one possible future. Stop complaining about your future self making dumb decisions," Fortune said. "Do you want to see more or do you want to move on to the next future?" 

Hyde bit the inside of his cheek. He needed to find out more about this future. About how his life would be with Sam instead of Jackie. If he somehow fell out of love with Jackie in just a couple days. 

"I wanna see more of this future," Hyde said. 

Fortune nodded. "That's what I thought." She grabbed his hand and snapped her fingers again. The kitchen became the woods. Future-Hyde, Jackie, Donna and a blonde guy were standing in a small clearing surrounded by trees. 

"Who's the Andy Gibb lookalike?" Hyde asked. 

"That's Randy. You hired him at the record store the day you told Sam she could stay," Fortune said. 

"No, no, no, no! I can't team up with Steven!" Jackie shrieked. "That would be like Cher teaming up with a really smelly drunk." 

The comment made Hyde examine his future self a little closer. He could tell by the way he swayed and the dazed look on his face, future-Hyde was drunk. Or had been drunk recently and was just starting to sober up. 

"Whoa! Did you guys hear that?" future-Hyde stumbled forward a couple steps. "The wild call of the brown-haired pygmy bitch." 

"This is making me wanna beat myself up. I never call Jackie a bitch. I say she's bitchy occasionally, but I don't call her a bitch," Hyde said. 

"I barely know you and I don't know Jackie at all, but I also wanna beat up this future version of you," Fortune said. "He's the real bitch." 

Hyde nodded. Fortune grabbed his hand and snapped her fingers. They were still in the woods, near a creek with a fallen log over it. Randy was helping Donna across the log. Future-Hyde walked across next, leaving Jackie on the other side. 

"Wait, how am I supposed to get across?" Jackie asked. 

"Come across like you always do. Real bitchy," future-Hyde said. 

"Why am I being such dick?" Hyde asked. 

"Beats me. Drunk you makes bad decisions," Fortune said. 

"Oh. Okay, you know what? Even when we were dating, you never did the gentlemanly thing," Jackie said. 

"I didn't?" Hyde asked. Fortune shrugged. 

Hyde thought about it. He was pretty sure he'd been a good boyfriend. He'd taken her on dates, remembered their anniversaries, showed physical affection. He'd always opened doors for her. He'd only told her he loved her in private. Though he hadn't said it to her in a long time, he realized. 

Fortune tapped his shoulder and he looked back over at future-Hyde and Jackie. Jackie was halfway across the log when she screamed and started to fall in. Hyde stepped forward and reached out to catch her but Fortune held him back. 

"You can't touch the future, dumbass," Fortune said. 

Hyde watched helplessly as Jackie fell into the creek. Future-him just watched and laughed. Hyde walked over to the side of the creek to make sure Jackie was okay. He watched as she clambered out of the creek. 

"I hate this future," Hyde said. 

"We can't leave just yet. I'm going to show you three years from now," Fortune said. She grabbed his hand and snapped her fingers. 

The woods melted into the Formans' living room. A large crowd of people were there, all with assorted drinks and food. Hyde spotted himself talking to Forman and Donna. Then he noticed the giant banner on the stairs. 

" _Congrats on your engagement, Jackie and Fez?_ " Hyde said out loud, reading the banner. "What the _fuck?"_

"Ooh. Who is Fez?" Fortune asked. 

Hyde looked around the room. He noticed Jackie and Fez standing by the couch, Fez's arm around Jackie's waist. Fez whispered something in her ear and she giggled. Fez sat down on the couch and she sat on his lap. 

Hyde felt a sharp pang as he watched them sit together. At least she was happy. Fortune walked over to where future-Hyde was with Donna and Forman. Hyde followed and listened to their conversation. 

"Is this weird for you? Y'know, since you almost married Jackie," Forman said. 

Future-Hyde shrugged. "I mean, I haven't talked to Jackie in nearly a year. Which is fine by me, man." 

"Oh, come on. I know you're still in love with her," Donna said.

"I am not," future-Hyde said. 

"You are to. The last four girls you've dated have been short brunettes with shrill, demanding voices. And you broke up with all of them within two weeks," Donna said. 

"Yeah, Hyde. You're trying to replace Jackie and you're failing spectacularly," Forman said. 

"You've both become insufferable since you got married," future-Hyde said. 

"Okay, this future's not that bad. Forman and Donna are married. Jackie's happy at least. I can deal with having unrequited feelings," Hyde said. 

"You're difficult," Fortune said. 

Hyde rolled his eyes and watched his future self walk into the kitchen. Jackie got up and followed him in. Hyde and Fortune walked into the kitchen after them.

"Jackie," future-Hyde said.

"Steven," Jackie responded. "How have you been? We haven't talked in a while." 

"Yeah, you've been busy making out with Fez," future-Hyde said. "I'm fine. Congrats on the engagement." 

"Thanks." Future-Jackie chewed her bottom lip. Hyde knew that look well. She was debating whether or not to say something. "Steven… Do you have any regrets about us?" 

Future-Hyde looked down into his drink. "I only regret letting you go. But you're happy now and that's all that matters." Before Jackie could respond, future-him walked back into the living room. Hyde watched as Jackie blinked rapidly, clearing the tears forming in her eyes. 

Fortune grabbed both his hands and the room started spinning again. Within seconds, they were back in the fortune shop. Hyde swallowed. The numbness in his jaw had faded completely, though there was still a tingling feeling in his fingertips. His mouth tasted vaguely of cinnamon.

"Still wanna go to Vegas?" Fortune asked. 

"Not really," Hyde said. "But it doesn't mean I want to take Jackie back. She's hurt me enough." 

Fortune rolled her head around, cracking her neck. "I've still got four more futures to show you." 

"Are they gonna be stupid like that one?" Hyde asked. 

"I don't know. I don't know what's 'out-of-character' for you," Fortune said. 

Hyde checked his watch. They must have been in that future for only a few seconds. Almost no time had passed. This time-travel crap was messing with his head. 

"Are you just trying to prove to me that I'm better off with Jackie? 'Cause you can stop. I don't care. I can handle whatever happens," Hyde said. 

"Why are you so damn stubborn? All I'm doing is showing you five things that could potentially happen. Then, you get to control your future from there. I'm not going to sway you to make a good decision if that's not what you want," Fortune said. 

Hyde took a deep breath. The sandalwood incense barely masked the lingering scent of hemp. Maybe Hyde had inhaled too much smoke and was having a weird, drug-induced dream. Why not ride it out? 

"Ready for the next future?" Fortune said, flashing another manic grin and holding out her hands. Hyde said nothing, just placed his hands in hers.   
The room started spinning again, but Hyde was more comfortable with it. Fortune's eyes were glowing that ghostly white again as their surroundings transformed.


	3. III

Hyde looked around. He and Fortune were standing in an apartment. A poster of naked ladies with Pink Floyd album covers painted on their backs hung on a wall above a small television. Across from the TV was a ratty couch and an armchair with a tie-dye blanket over it. 

Future-Hyde walked into the room, followed by Leo. 

"Leo, man, you gotta buy bread when you go grocery shopping. I put it on the list," future-Hyde said, sitting down in the armchair. "At least I think I did."

Leo sat on the couch and said, "Man, you know I don't remember things good. Oh, hey it's noon! That means your girlfriend's on TV!" 

"She's not my girlfriend. She hasn't been my girlfriend for a long time," future-Hyde said, turning on the television and changing the channel. 

"But you love her. I mean, why else would you watch her show every day?" Leo said. 

"This is the longest we've ever kept a conversation," future-Hyde said. 

Leo looked at him blankly. "Oh, hey, your girlfriend's on TV!" 

"When did I turn the TV on?" future-Hyde asked. 

"Oh man, you guys are _baked,_ " Fortune said, laughing. 

"So this future is just me becoming a stoner and moving in with Leo?" Hyde asked. That seemed very plausible. 

"After you left Jackie in Chicago and never came back for an explanation, she decided you weren't worth making up with. She stayed in Chicago and built a successful career. She now has her own show where she gives relationship advice," Fortune said. "She did a whole segment telling her viewers about how she almost married a no-good burnout who didn't appreciate her." 

"Great," Hyde said through gritted teeth. 

"Anyway, once Eric came back from Africa and moved in with Donna, you decided to leave as well. You bought an apartment with Leo and became a hippie," Fortune said. "You haven't spoken to Jackie in two years." 

"I seem all right," Hyde said, gesturing to his future self, who was watching Jackie on the television. There was a knock on the apartment door. Leo got up and opened it, revealing Forman. 

"Do I know you?" Leo asked. 

"Leo, it's me, Eric. I just came to see Hyde," Forman said. Leo stepped to the side, letting him in. Forman walked over to future-Hyde, glancing at the television and frowning. "Come on, man. It's been two years. You should be over this by now." 

"Don't tell me what I should be, Forman," future-Hyde said. "I'm not watching this because of Jackie. It's just on and I don't feel like changing the channel."   
"Mm-hmm. You gotta at least try to get over her, man." Forman sat down on the couch. "I had lunch with her yesterday. She asked me how you were doing. I told her the truth, that you're a hippie and you live with Leo. You should really talk to her." 

"She doesn't want to see me. I tried calling her a few… months ago? Or weeks? Days? I can't remember. Her receptionist told me to never call again," future-Hyde said. 

Forman nodded once. "Jackie said she wanted to see you. She said she'd be at the park tomorrow night. Maybe you'll remember that." 

Forman got up and left, closing the door behind him. Future-Hyde stood up and got a piece of paper and a pen. He wrote something down and pinned it to a board by the door. Hyde walked over and read the paper. 

_Park tomorrow. Jackie._

Fortune grabbed his hand and snapped her fingers. The apartment became the park. Jackie was seated elegantly at one of the chess tables. Her hair was done up, her nails were perfectly manicured, her makeup was flawless. She looked beautiful, but it wasn't the most beautiful Hyde had ever seen her. 

She was most beautiful when she was lying next to him in bed, hair messy and lips kiss-swollen. When she was in that giggly, lovey-dovey state she always was after making love. Hyde would miss that. 

Future-Hyde walked over to Jackie, sitting across from her at the chess table. 

"Hi, Steven," Jackie greeted him. 

"So you do remember my name. I thought I was 'the no-good burnout' you wasted two years of your life on," future-Hyde said. 

"I'm surprised you can remember that. According to Eric, your memory is getting almost as bad as Leo's," Jackie said. She crossed her arms over her chest. 

"And who's fault is that?" future-Hyde said. 

"Yours, obviously. You can't blame me for your bad decisions. I'm moving on with my life, Steven. You should too." 

"I wish everyone would quit telling me what I _should_ do. It's my life, I can throw it away if I want." Future-Hyde put his elbow on the table, bringing his hand up to support his head. 

"Sure. I won't stop you. I just wanted to see you. My colleagues at work keep saying I need to get closure from you, since we left things so open-ended," Jackie explained. "Don't you want to find out what Michael was doing in Chicago?"

"I already know. Kelso said that nothing happened. I didn't believe him at first, but he convinced me. I know nothing happened and that I ran away for no reason. But by the time Kelso told me that, you had already gone and told the world that breaking up with me was the best decision you ever made," future-Hyde said. 

Jackie looked down at the table. "I didn't mean it." 

"Save it, Jackie. I've heard it all before." Future-Hyde took a deep breath. "I don't know why I came to see you. Do you have anything else you want to say? Because I need to go." 

"I just wanted to tell you I've found someone else. He's not afraid of commitment. I'm moving on, you should move on too," Jackie said. Then she stood up and walked away. 

"Fortune, man, this is just depressing. And it really doesn't seem that bad. I'm fine with being a hippie stoner for the rest of my life. I'm fine with not talking to Jackie for two years. I'll get over her eventually," Hyde said. 

Fortune smiled. "Anyone ever tell you you're a bad liar?" 

"I'm not lying!" Hyde shouted. 

"Yes you are!" Fortune shouted back. Without warning, she grabbed his hand and snapped her fingers, bringing them farther into this future and increasing the numbness of his hands. 

This time, they were in the parking lot of the Piggly-Wiggly. Future-Hyde was seated on the bench outside. Hyde barely recognized himself. He had a long beard, long curls and he was wearing a loose floral shirt over light blue jeans. He had really embraced the hippie look. 

Jackie came out of the Piggly-Wiggly, pushing a cart with a cute little girl in the kid's seat. The little girl had Jackie's brown hair and eyes, but the rest of her face looked unfamiliar. The girl must look like her father. 

Hyde watched as Jackie turned her cart and pushed it in future-Hyde's direction. She stopped short when she noticed him. 

"Steven?" Jackie said, looking shocked. 

"Steveh!" the little girl repeated. 

"Steven, what are you doing here?" Jackie asked, stepping towards the Hyde on the bench, who looked up at her with cloudy eyes. 

"Do I know you?" future-Hyde asked, squinting at her. "Are you with the government?" 

"What? No. Steven, it's me, Jackie." Jackie placed the hand that wasn't holding the shopping cart on her hip. 

"Jackie? Oh, hey, Jackie. How long has it been since you dumped me?" future-Hyde asked. 

"Ten years. It's nearly 1990, why are you dressed like a hippie?" Jackie asked. 

"The seventies never ended, man." 

"Yes, they did. God, you've really become just like Leo," Jackie said. 

Future-Hyde got a sad look on his face. "Don't talk about him." 

Jackie quirked an eyebrow. "Who, Leo?" 

"Don't say his name!" Future-Hyde stood up from the bench and stepped closer to Jackie. "He's gone, man. Gone forever." 

"He's dead?" Jackie asked. 

Future-Hyde nodded. "He's gone and now I'm all alone. Not even… what's his name… Forman. He won't even talk to me. Or maybe he does and I just can't remember. I can't remember a lot." 

"That's obvious." Jackie looked at her daughter, who was raising her arms and flexing her fingers, asking to be picked up. "I have to go now, Steven. I'll see you around." 

"See you, grasshopper," future-Hyde said, sitting back down on the bench. 

"I'm not your 'grasshopper' anymore, Steven." With that, Jackie walked away. 

"Your pet name for her was 'grasshopper?' Where the hell did that come from?" Fortune asked. 

"Long story that I don't wanna tell you," Hyde said. 

Fortune nodded. "Well, I'm done with this future. You?" 

"Yep. Don't really wanna end up like Leo," Hyde said. 

"Understandable." Fortune grabbed his hands. The Piggly-Wiggly spun into the fortune shop and the now familiar scent of weed and sandalwood filled Hyde's nostrils. Maybe he would take a little break from the circle in the coming weeks. He didn't want to risk that future. 

"Are these futures just gonna get more depressing? If they are, I'm out," Hyde said. 

"If you leave now, will you fix things with Jackie?" Fortune asked. "'Cause you seem real depressed without her." 

"No. Jackie doesn't want me. Weren't you listening to her in that future? I'm just some burnout she wasted two years of her life on," Hyde said. Hearing those words gave him a whole new heartbreak to be angry about. Maybe he would go to Vegas and marry Sam. At least then he'd be able to say he had married a stripper. 

"I don't think she meant it. Besides, that was future Jackie. She probably doesn't feel that way now," Fortune said. 

"You don't even know her. How the hell would you know how she feels?" Hyde asked. 

"I don't. I can just guess." Fortune extended her hands. "We still have three more futures." Hyde exhaled heavily through his nose. He hated this whole oracle thing. But he had nothing to lose, so he placed his hands in Fortune's and the now familiar spinning began, giving way to a whole new future.


	4. IV

Hyde barely noticed the numbness in his jaw and hands. It had become almost normal. He looked around. They were in the basement, future-Hyde and Donna seated on the couch together. 

"And then Kelso walked in, wearing nothing but a towel. Then he said, 'Jackie, I checked, no one can see us doing it from the parking lot.' I chased him out of the room and drove to Iowa, but then I came back here," future-him said. 

"You didn't let her explain?" Donna asked. 

"What was there to explain? They obviously had sex! She's gotta know how much that hurts," future-Hyde said. He stood up and got a soda from the case on the deep-freeze. 

"Well, maybe they didn't have sex. Maybe you got there before anything happened. Maybe Kelso was just making a joke," Donna said. "Think rationally." 

"I don't want to. I'd rather just be pissed." Future-Hyde sat down in his chair, kicking his legs up onto the wooden spool table. 

"Hyde, can I call your attention back to a couple years ago, when you assumed Jackie was cheating on you with Kelso when nothing happened? You slept with a nurse and your relationship blew up. I don't want you to make that mistake again, because I don't know if she'll forgive you this time," Donna said. 

"If _she'll_ forgive _me?_ I wasn't the one in a motel room with naked Kelso," future-Hyde said. 

"Fine! You want to destroy your relationship, go ahead! You know, I was hoping at least one couple could be happy this year. Eric and I definitely won't be. Hell, he's been gone for a day and I already miss him." Donna stared at the table for a moment. "I miss him so much." She started crying. 

Future-Hyde moved to the couch and put his arm around Donna. Donna turned to him, burying her face in his chest. "Hey, you're gonna be alright, man. Forman'll be back before you know it. I'm sure he'll come to visit at Christmas or something. You're gonna be fine, okay?" 

Hyde thought about the conversation he'd had with Jackie after her and Kelso split. Sitting in her car after she bought him new boots at the mall, tucking her hair behind her ear and telling her she would meet someone great… That was one of the first times they'd actually hung out. 

Damn, Hyde missed just hanging out with Jackie. In the past few months, their hang outs were always overshadowed by the impending future, by hopes for marriage and commitment. Hyde missed just having fun with Jackie. 

If they got married, would they go back to having fun like they used to? Or would adult worries and the stresses of marriage hold them back? 

Hyde didn't have time to think about it, because Fortune grabbed his hand and snapped her fingers. They didn't move from the basement, but future-Hyde and Donna were now asleep on the couch. They were still sitting upright, Donna in Hyde's arms. Someone, probably Mrs. Forman, had draped a blanket across them. 

The door opened and Jackie entered the basement, followed closely by Kelso. Jackie stared at future-Hyde and Donna, eyes wide and rapidly filling with tears.

"Oh, come on! First Hyde steals Jackie from me and now he's stealing Donna from Eric? That's just unfair!" Kelso said. 

Kelso's shouts woke up future-Hyde and Donna. Donna separated herself from Hyde's arms, scooting away from him on the couch. Future-Hyde rubbed his eyes and pushed the blanket off his lap, then looked up at Jackie and Kelso.

"Jackie, what are you doing here?" future-Hyde asked. 

"Please don't kill me!" Kelso said as he jumped behind Jackie, squatting down so she covered him completely. Jackie turned and pushed him down to the ground. 

"I'll kick your ass later, Kelso," future-Hyde said. Hyde was excited to punch Kelso in the jaw once he was done with this oracle stuff and back in Point Place.

"Steven, I came to explain what happened, which was nothing. Michael and I didn't do it. What's going on with you and Donna?" Jackie asked. 

"I was comforting Donna because Forman left for Africa two days ago." Future-Hyde stood up, glancing at Donna. "At least she's not in a towel talking about us doing it." 

"We didn't do it! Nothing happened, you have to believe that," Jackie said. She was looking at him so earnestly Hyde almost believed her. 

"But we were about to do it, right? Jackie, are we back together?" Kelso asked. He had stood up from the floor. 

"Shut up!" Future-Hyde, Donna and Jackie all yelled. Kelso looked at each of them, offended. He shrieked indignantly and stomped up the steps to the kitchen. 

"So you were 'just comforting' Donna? By hugging her and letting her sleep in your arms?" Jackie asked. "Because you never comforted me like that. You just said stupid things that you thought would cheer me up." 

Future-Hyde looked down at the spool table. 

"You know what, Steven? I don't care if you forgive me for Michael or not. There's not even anything to forgive. The last few months of our relationship have been awful. You stopped saying you loved me, you stopped showing me you loved me, now it's obvious you don't trust me either. I can't be with you if you don't trust me." Jackie stepped closer to him. "If you could comfort Donna because her boyfriend left but you couldn't comfort your _girlfriend_ when my dad was arrested, then you're nowhere near ready for marriage." 

"Fine by me. I don't even want to get married," future-Hyde said. 

Donna perked up, "A few days ago you said-" 

"Shut it, Pinciotti." Future-Hyde held up a hand in her direction. She stuck her tongue out at him. 

"I'm done with this, Steven. I'm breaking up with you," Jackie said. 

"You're breaking up with me? Because I was being a good friend to Donna? You're crazy," future-Hyde said. 

"I was only crazy for wanting to marry you." Jackie left the basement, leaving Donna and future-Hyde alone. 

Hyde stared at the door Jackie had just exited. Did she really feel that way? Was marrying him not really what she wanted? Her words were bullshit anyway; Hyde had comforted her plenty of times. He'd shaved his beard for her, listened to her talk for hours, held her in his arms late into the night. 

Although… she was right about the last few months of their relationship. He had stopped saying 'I love you', stopped showing her he loved her. Not letting her explain herself in Chicago definitely showed he didn't trust her. 

"Ouch. That was harsh. I'm kinda nervous to show you the rest of this future," Fortune said, bouncing on her heels. 

"I'm getting real close to hittin' you," Hyde said, turning to Fortune. She raised her eyebrows and smirked, calling his bluff. Hyde glared at her as she took his hand and snapped her fingers. 

They were standing in Kelso and Fez's apartment, only Kelso wasn't there. Jackie and Donna were sitting on the couch with the guy from one of the other futures… Randy. Future-Hyde was leaning against the kitchen counter. 

"Okay, so I made a list of all the qualities I want in a man," Jackie said. 

"Why do I have to be here?" future-Hyde asked. "So you can rub it in my face that you're moving on?" 

"Shut up. Not everything is about you," Jackie said. 

"That's rich, coming from you," future-Hyde said. 

"You know what? I don't need a stupid list of qualities. I just need someone who's not at all like Steven." Jackie crumpled up her list and threw it at Donna, who unfolded it and read it over. 

"Jackie, all these qualities describe Hyde," Donna said. "Well, for the most part." 

"Lemme see," Randy said, holding his hand out for the list. Donna handed it over and he laughed as he read it. "I think you might have a little trouble with the 'not at all like Steven' part, Jackie." 

"Ugh, you're all so annoying! And I said I wasn't using the list anymore. I can't let myself fall for another guy like Steven." Jackie stood and faced future-Hyde, looking him right in the eyes as she delivered her next painful blow. "Our relationship was just a colossal waste of time that only ever left me heartbroken over nothing. Marrying you would have been the worst mistake of my life." 

Future-Hyde stared at her for a second, then stormed out the door of the apartment. Donna and Randy looked up at Jackie, expressions riddled with shock.

"That was harsh. I'm glad we never dated," Randy said. 

"Seriously. Hyde's never stormed out of a room like that before," Donna said. "I think you really hurt him, Jackie." 

"Whatever. That jerk didn't trust me. I'm pretty sure he didn't even love me these past few months. I'm not going to waste anymore of my time on him," Jackie said. 

"Jackie, of course he loves you," Donna said. 

"How do you know? Did he ever say it in front of you? Did he ever tell you he loved me? Because he sure as hell stopped saying it to me," Jackie said. She stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. 

Hyde didn't want Fortune here to see all this. This future was exposing him way too much for his liking and he didn't want some stranger to see all that. Without her, he wouldn't even have to see any of this. He would've just gone to Vegas, married Sam the stripper and… and never made up with Jackie. 

Was losing Jackie forever really worth the cost of his pride? 

"Do you want to see more of this future?" Fortune asked. Her eyebrows were furrowed with concern. Hyde realized his eyes were watery and he blinked several times to dry them. 

"Can you just… vaguely explain the rest of it?" Hyde asked. 

Fortune stared blankly at something behind Hyde for a minute. Then she snapped back. "Yeah, I can do that. Like the first future, Jackie starts dating Fez. You avoid her like a pro and you're almost never in the same room as her. You avoid her because you don't want to risk her tearing into you like she did a few minutes ago. You keep everything bottled up and then… Can I please just show you this part?" 

"Sure." 

Fortune grabbed his hand and snapped her fingers. They were in the basement. Donna and Randy were on the couch, Fez was in the lawn chair with Jackie on the footstool between his legs, like she used to sit with Hyde sometimes. Future-Hyde was seated in his usual chair. 

"Jackie, truth or dare?" Randy asked. 

"Truth." 

Randy tapped his chin, thinking. "Oh, I got it. What is your biggest regret?" 

Jackie angled her harsh gaze on future-Hyde. "My biggest regret is wasting two years of my life dating a man who didn't love me." 

"Okay, you know what? You can stop berating me every time we see each other, because you're way off. I did love you. I loved you so much it scared the shit out of me. That night in Chicago, I went there planning to propose to you. I was ready to marry you if it meant we could stay together. I actually saw us staying together for the rest of our lives. How fucking stupid is that?" Future-Hyde stood up and left the basement, stomping up the stairs to the kitchen. 

"Holy shit," Donna said. 

"That was brutal," Randy said. 

Jackie just sat on the footstool, mouth open and staring at the stairs. 

Fortune tapped his shoulder, directing his attention to her. "You two don't talk much after that, only exchanging pleasantries when you see each other every once in a while. Y'all suck at communication." 

"Man, this is entirely possible. Just like the last future, Jackie doesn't want me back. What if it's already out of my control? What if there's nothing I can do?" Hyde asked. 

Fortune bit her lip. "I still have two more futures to show you." 

Hyde took a deep breath and took Fortune's hands. The basement spun around them, spiraling into the fortune shop. Hyde leaned back on his cushion as he regained feeling in his hands. 

"Only two more. Then I have to make the biggest decision of my entire life," Hyde said, somewhat hysterical. This was freaking crazy, man. Crazy. 

Fortune smiled softly. "I think after the last future, you'll know exactly what to do." With that, she extended her hands to him and they spun into the fourth future as Hyde placed his hands in hers.


	5. V

Hyde and Fortune stood in an all too familiar parking lot that Hyde had been in much too recently. Kelso's car was no longer parked outside Jackie's motel room, and Kelso himself was nowhere to be seen. Future-Hyde was pacing a few feet away from Jackie's door. 

Future-Hyde stopped pacing, took a deep breath and knocked on Jackie's door. Hyde and Fortune walked closer. Jackie opened the door and her face contorted in shock when she saw who it was. 

"Steven, what are you doing here?" Jackie asked. 

Future-Hyde licked his lips and got down on one knee, withdrawing the ring box from his pocket. Hyde slipped his hand in his own pocket, running his fingers over that same ring box currently in there. 

Jackie gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. 

"Jackie, will you marry me?" future-Hyde asked. 

Jackie lowered her hands from her mouth, settling them over her heart. Tears were falling slowly down her cheeks. "Oh, Steven… no." 

Future-Hyde's brows drew together, confused. "What?" 

"No. I can't- I don't want- No," Jackie said. 

Future-Hyde stood up, putting the ring box away. "I don't understand. Isn't this what you want?" 

"It is, but… It's not what you want," Jackie said. "Steven, I can't force you into marriage. I don't want to. If you propose because that's the only way we can be together, we'll never be happy. We can't force marriage. I don't want to end up in a loveless relationship like my parents." 

Future-Hyde nodded. "So what now?" 

Jackie looked up at him sadly. "I don't think we can be together. You can't promise me a future and I can't be happy with what we have. It just won't work."

"Jackie, don't say that," future-Hyde said. 

"This is it for us, Steven. I'm building a life in Chicago. You can't leave Point Place, not while Eric is gone and the record store is still there. It's just not going to work," Jackie said. She looked at him forlornly, tears shining in her eyes. "Maybe one day in the future, but not now." 

"Okay. Fine." Hyde recognized the look and body language his future self was showing. He was going into shutdown, going completely Zen. He only did that when things went out of his control. He figured if he couldn't control the situation, he could at least control his emotions. 

Jackie held his hand for a few seconds, then let it go and went back into her motel room. Future-Hyde walked back to the El Camino. 

"So, do we get back together in the future?" Hyde asked. 

"Let's find out!" Fortune said, grabbing his hand and snapping her fingers. 

They were standing in Grooves, next to the table behind the listening pit. Future-Hyde was behind the counter, looking over order forms. The bell on the door jangled as Jackie entered the store. 

"Hi, Steven," Jackie said, walking over to the counter but stopping at the chair. 

"Jackie? I haven't seen you in a while. How's Chicago?" future-Hyde asked. 

"Chicago's great. I really like it there. Um…" Jackie fidgeted, searching for the right words. "Remember what I said after you proposed?"

"You said maybe we could get back together one day in the future," future-Hyde said. His face lit up with hope. 

"Yeah, well… I don't want to get back together. I met someone else in Chicago. He's really great. I just, uh… I just thought you should know," Jackie said. 

Future-Hyde nodded. "Congratulations. Hopefully he doesn't propose to you in a motel parking lot." 

Jackie didn't smile at his half-assed attempt at a joke. "If you had really meant your proposal, I would've said yes. But I know you, and I know you didn't really want to get married."

"Jackie, I-" future-Hyde stopped. Slowly, he went into shutdown, expression going Zen. "That's cool." 

Jackie stared at him as if she was trying to read his mind. She nodded and said, "I'll see you around, Steven." Then, she walked out the door. 

"And you never see her again," Fortune said. 

Hyde whirled around to face Fortune. "What, that's it? The last thing I say to her is 'that's cool' and I never see her again?" 

Fortune's face broke out into a grin. "Oh you totally fell for it. Nah, you see her again. It's just super awkward and full of tension and things left unsaid. Like a romance novel." 

"You suck," Hyde said. 

"Just trying to lighten the mood. Your futures are all so dim. Let's move on, shall we?" Fortune held his hand and with the snap of her fingers, they were in the Formans' living room. A banner that said 'Welcome Home Eric!' was draped across the stairs. 

Hyde's eyes immediately found Jackie in the small crowd of people. She was standing with an unfamiliar man, probably the guy she met in Chicago. Future-Hyde was standing across the room, glancing at her every few seconds. Forman walked over. 

"Hyde, man, what happened between you and Jackie? Donna and Fez said you wouldn't tell them anything when you got back from Chicago," Forman said. 

"I don't wanna talk about it," future-Hyde said resolutely. 

"Uh-huh… If I ask Jackie, what will she say?" Forman asked. 

"I don't know, man. She might tell you the truth, she might not tell you anything. I don't know her that well anymore," future-Hyde said. 

"You're making this a very depressing first day back," Forman said. 

"You brought it up. How was Africa?" future-Hyde asked. 

"You don't get to hear about Africa until you tell me about Jackie," Forman said. 

"Guess I'm not hearing about Africa." Future-Hyde turned and walked into the kitchen. Forman stayed in the living room, looking slightly offended. Then he walked over to Jackie and her new boyfriend. 

"Jackie, can I talk to you?" Forman asked. 

"Sure, what's up?" Jackie said. Forman cast a wary glance at the man next to Jackie. Jackie followed his eyes. "Oh, this is my new boyfriend Nicholas. We met in Chicago. I hope you don't mind that I brought him to your homecoming party." 

"No, it's fine. I just… Could we talk in private?" Forman asked. 

"I'll go get a drink. Come find me when you're done, Jacks," Nicholas said. He walked into the kitchen after kissing Jackie on the cheek. 

The interaction confused Hyde. Jackie hated being called Jacks. Kelso had done it once when they were dating and she had yelled at him for half an hour. Hyde had never called her that in all the time they knew each other. 

"Jacks?" Forman asked. 

"It's just a nickname, shut up. What did you want to talk about?" Jackie asked. 

"What happened between you and Hyde? He won't tell me and no one else knows," Forman said. 

"He'll be pissed at me for telling you, but… The day after you left, Steven proposed to me. I turned him down, because it was clear he didn't really want to marry me. I stayed in Chicago, he went back to Point Place. We pretty much stopped talking. Then I found Nicholas and that was that," Jackie said. 

Forman nodded. "You do realise Hyde actually wanted to marry you, right?" 

Jackie's eyebrows rose nearly to her hairline. "What?" 

"Yeah. A couple days before I left, after the ultimatum, he said he wanted to marry you. He was drunk and probably doesn't remember it, but I remember. And he kept talking about it the rest of the night, how he was gonna marry you and you were gonna go grow old together and have kids… Man, I wish I had taped it," Forman said. 

"He really wanted to marry me…" Jackie stared at the kitchen door for a minute. Hyde thought she would go in there, talk to him about it, try to learn how he felt about her. But she stayed where she was. "It's too late now. I'm with Nicholas and he makes me happy."

"All right, if that's what you want," Forman said. Then he walked away, over to Donna and Fez. 

"Fortune, I could easily fix this future. If I just tell Jackie I'm serious about the proposal, she'll take me back," Hyde said. 

Fortune's voice took on a mocking tone. "Well I thought you didn't want her back. 'She's hurt you too much.' 'She's not worth all the pain.' 'She's happy without you.' What changed? I thought you hadn't forgiven her for not sleeping with Kelso." 

"Shut up. But thanks for reminding me, because now I'm angry about Kelso again," Hyde said. 

Fortune smiled and took his hands. The living room spun into the fortune shop, with it's dim lighting and ever-present scent of sandalwood and weed. 

"Only one more future left until the biggest decision of your life," Fortune said. "A few things I have to tell you about the next future. First, we're going farther than we have in any other future. Second, I can't tell you how to get to this future. You have to figure it out yourself." 

"What if I don't want to get to this future?" Hyde asked. 

"Then you won't have to figure it out! You can just spend the rest of your life pining for Jackie," Fortune said. 

"I don't 'pine.' And I'll be just fine without Jackie. She doesn't control my happiness," Hyde said. 

"No, she doesn't. Just like I don't control what decision you make. You can do whatever the hell you want," Fortune said. "Ready for the last one?" 

They grasped each other's hands and the room started spinning. Hyde couldn't wait for this awful thing to be over.


	6. VI

When the spinning stopped, Hyde stood in an unfamiliar living room. It was very put-together; the furniture matched the rug and wallpaper, a bookcase sat against one wall with one of it's shelves completely taken up by photos, magazines and children's books sat on the coffee table. 

Hyde walked over to the bookcase to examine the photos. The first picture made him feel nervous, excited and amazed all at once. It was a picture of him and Jackie, dressed for their wedding. The second picture was Jackie throwing her bouquet and Donna just about to catch it; Hyde and Forman were grinning in the background. 

The third picture shook Hyde to his core. It was him and Jackie, looking quite a bit older than they were now. Jackie was in a hospital bed, looking tired yet happy, and Hyde was seated in a chair next to the bed, holding a newborn baby and smiling. 

"Holy shit…" Hyde breathed out. The rest of the shelf's pictures were him, Jackie and their kids at varying ages. When he had seen them all, he turned to Fortune. "How far into the future is this?" 

"Twenty years," Fortune responded. 

"Damn," Hyde said. 

Just then, the door opened. Jackie entered holding a little boy on her hip. Future-Hyde wasn't far behind, carrying a slightly older girl over his shoulder. The boy must've been about three; the girl maybe five or six. 

Jackie set the boy down at the same time Hyde put down the girl. The girl was a spitting image of her mother; brunette, smooth skin, beautiful smile. But she had her father's blue eyes. The boy, on the other hand, had his father's frizzy curls and his mother's brown eyes. 

"Alright, kids, whoever gets their PJs on first gets to pick the bedtime story!" Jackie said, leaning down so she was closer to the kids' eye level. 

The kids smiled and ran up the stairs. Jackie giggled and turned to future-Hyde. 

"That was fun, taking them out to Funland today," Jackie said. 

"Of course it was fun, it's Funland," future-Hyde responded. Jackie giggled again and put her hands on his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her waist. They both leaned in and kissed sweetly. 

They kissed the same way Mr. and Mrs. Forman did. In a way that showed they'd loved each other for many, many years and would love each other for many years to come. 

"I'm ready for bed!" a little girl's voice called down the stairs. 

"We'll be right up!" Jackie called back. 

"Time to go read 'If You Give A Mouse A Cookie' for the four hundredth time," future-Hyde said. Jackie grinned, kissing him one more time before they both went up the stairs. 

Fortune walked over to where Hyde was frozen in place. He couldn't stop staring at where he and Jackie had been standing. Just one look at his future self and he could tell he was truly happy in this future. Married to Jackie with two little kids. 

Fortune didn't say anything, just grabbed his hands and made the room spin back into the fortune shop, taking any trace of that future with it. Hyde sat on the cushion, letting the scent of weed and sandalwood wash over him as he thought things over. 

He didn't care about seeing Kelso anymore. Even if they had slept together, he didn't care. Seeing that future, seeing himself married with kids and _happy_ … it cleared every doubt he had. 

He could survive a future without Jackie. Today had shown him that. But today had also shown him that he could be really happy with Jackie. And that Jackie could be really happy with him. Seeing her smile and hearing her giggle in that last future canceled out the hurtful things she'd said in the other futures. 

But Hyde didn't know how to get to the last future. Fortune hadn't shown or told him what to do next. He could go back to Chicago, risking future number 4 happening. He could go to Point Place, risking future number 3, which was his least favorite of the five. He definitely wouldn't go to Vegas. That would just be stupid. Hopefully Jackie didn't decide he wasn't worth it like she had in future 2… 

Hyde knew what he had to do. He would go back to Chicago and talk things out with Jackie, but he wouldn't propose. He would save that for another time, when she would believe he was serious about it. About her. 

Because he was serious about her. He loved her. And after what she'd said today, he would make damn sure he started telling her. 

"So… know what you're gonna do?" Fortune asked. 

"Yeah, I do," Hyde said. 

"Cool. But you still have, like, an hour and a half before your car is ready, so… wait here." Fortune stood up and went to a back room. She came back with a joint and a colorful lighter, grinning. 

"Hell yeah," Hyde said. 

"Kinda thought you'd be iffy about this after the second future I showed you," Fortune said. She lit the joint, took the first puff and passed it to Hyde. 

Hyde inhaled and passed the joint back to Fortune."Your stuff is way better than mine." He exhaled, blowing a smoke ring. Jackie had taught him how during one of their last circles together. 

It had been just the two of them, on the couch in the basement. Jackie had blown a smoke ring and Hyde had asked her how she did it. She taught him how to make an 'o' with his lips and push the smoke out to form a ring. Once he got the hang of it, they kept blowing smoke rings at each other. The circle had ended with them making out. 

Fortune laughed. They finished off the joint relatively quickly. Fortune lit her sandalwood incense and looked at him inquisitively. "Did what I showed you help?" 

The question wouldn't have made sense if Hyde were sober, but his high mind comprehended it perfectly. "Yeah, it did. I mean, without you, I'd be going to Vegas right now to throw away any chance to fix things with Jackie. Then she'd marry Fez, who she has turned down many, many times." 

"I'm glad I helped. I love being able to guide people to make the right choice. Not enough people do," Fortune said. 

"I'm glad you helped too. How can I pay you back?" Hyde asked. She had changed the course of his entire life for the better. There had to be some way to make them even. 

Fortune thought for a moment. "Send me a letter updating me on the situation with Jackie at the end of the year. I want to know what happens." 

"I don't have your address," Hyde said. 

Fortune stood up, grabbed a piece of paper and pen, scribbled something down on the paper, folded it up and walked back over to Hyde. She pressed the piece of paper into his hand. "Now you do." 

"All right. Hopefully I remember, 'cause I'm really high right now," Hyde said. 

"Don't worry, I wrote down what you need to do," Fortune said. 

"Sweet. You will receive a letter from me at the end of the year," Hyde said. He checked his watch. "I gotta go sober up before I get my car." 

"Oh, for sure. I'll be waiting on your letter, man. See you in another life." Fortune grinned and led him to the door, shutting it behind him once he left. He looked at the neon 'Fortune Teller' sign in the window. 

Fortune wasn't necessarily a fortune teller, but she had given him access to something no one else could. A choice that would change his life forever. 

Hyde walked around the town for the last half hour of the wait for his car, sobering up. At eleven, he picked up his car from the auto shop. He bought lunch at one of the restaurants, eating quickly in his car. He bought some fruity gum from the Circle K so his breath smelled okay. 

Hyde took a deep breath. He buried the ring box deep in the duffel bag he'd brought to Chicago so he wouldn't be tempted to propose and so Jackie wouldn't find it. With that, Hyde pulled onto the highway and started driving towards Chicago.


	7. VII

Hyde sat in the El Camino, a few doors down from Jackie's motel room. He hoped like hell she was still there. Her words from the third future repeated in his head. 

_I was only crazy for wanting to marry you._

_Marrying you would have been the worst mistake of my life._

_My biggest regret is wasting two years of my life dating a man who didn't love me._

He couldn't let her words from a future that might not even happen bother him. He forced the hurtful words out of his head and replaced it with the image of them and their kids. Of Jackie's smile and giggle as their kids ran up the stairs. He would work things out with her and hopefully they would be happy together. 

Rolling his shoulders a few times, he readied himself to be completely emotionally honest with Jackie. 

Hyde got out of the car, locking the door behind him. He walked over to Jackie's door, took a deep breath and knocked. Jackie opened the door, eyes red from crying. The sight startled Hyde. She hadn't been crying in the fourth future, when he came back to propose. 

"Steven? What are you doing here?" Jackie asked. 

"I wanted to talk. I shouldn't have left last night without letting you explain. That was stupid of me. I realized a lot of things today and I want to talk it out. I don't want this to be the end for us, Jackie," Hyde said. 

Jackie smiled. "I don't want it to be the end either. Come in." She moved aside, letting him enter the room. She closed the door and sat down on the bed. He pulled over the chair from the table in the corner. 

"So, first things first, what happened with you and Kelso?" Hyde asked. 

"Nothing. He was keeping me company because I asked him to. He saw that I was sad because I thought I'd lost you forever. He started hitting on me, trying to make me feel better with joke flirting. What he said when he walked in was just a joke," Jackie told him. 

"Okay. I believe you." 

Jackie grinned. "You do?" 

"Yeah, I do. Me running out last night probably made you think I don't trust you, but that's not true. I do trust you, I'm just a dumbass sometimes. Sorry about that." Hyde scratched the back of his neck. "And I'm sorry for the past few months." 

"I'm sorry too," Jackie said. "You wanna go first?" 

"Sure. I know that I stopped telling you and showing you that I love you. I'm really sorry about that and now I understand why you were convinced I was gonna say no to your ultimatum. By the way, I was gonna say yes, but we can talk about that later."

Jackie gasped and put her hand on his knee. "No, we can talk about that now." 

"But I have other things to say," Hyde said. "Like how I'm glad you left before I gave you an answer because I don't think we're ready to be married yet." 

Jackie's face fell. "Oh." Then she perked up. "Wait, did you say _yet?"_

Hyde gave her a thin smile and nodded. "I do want to marry you one day, Jackie. You're the only chick I wanna be with. I wanna get hitched, have kids, grandkids, the whole shebang. If you still want to marry me, that is." 

"Oh, Steven, of course I do. All I wanted was for you to say you wanted to get married one day. I'm sorry for pushing marriage onto you, but I need the promise of commitment. My parents both left me, so I need to know you're not planning on leaving too," Jackie said. 

"I was never planning on leaving you. You're the one who was always breakin' up with me," Hyde said, smirking. 

"I wasn't _always_ breaking up with you. And you deserved it the first time," Jackie protested. Her hand hadn't moved from his knee. Hyde slid his hand on top of hers and she looked down at their hands. 

"My parents left me too, but my instinct was to not commit to anything. If I don't commit, I can't get hurt. But not committing to you hurt me way more," Hyde said. "Jackie, I love you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life, if you'll have me." 

"I love you too, Steven. You are the most important person in the world to me and I am so glad you came back," Jackie said. 

"Me too, grasshopper. Me too," Hyde said. 

Jackie cupped the sides of his face with her hands and kissed him softly. They hadn't kissed in five days. Hyde had sorely missed the taste and feel of her lips, the scent of her perfume, everything that made her _Jackie._

She leaned back on the bed, pulling him down on top of her. Once they were settled more comfortably on the bed, Hyde threaded his fingers in her hair. He was determined to show her just how much he loved her. 

A while later, Hyde laid in bed with Jackie in his arms. It felt so good to be with her again. Realistically, it had only been less than a week, but it had felt so much longer. Hyde wondered if seeing all those futures had something to do with it. 

Hyde kissed the top of Jackie's head. "You're everything to me," he said into her hair. 

She sat up a little to look at him. "Really?" 

"Really," Hyde said. 

Jackie made a strangled sound and kissed him passionately, making him feel everything she wasn't saying out loud. She loved him just as much as he loved her. Their love would last for a very long time. 

After they parted the kiss, Jackie said, "When are we going back to Point Place?" 

"Don't you want to stay in Chicago for your new job?" Hyde asked. 

"Not really. This isn't my dream job. Besides, you can't leave Point Place. Mrs. Forman would be devastated. Plus, you still have to run the record store. And I'd much rather be close to you than keep this job," Jackie said. 

"Okay. If you're sure. We can go back whenever you want," Hyde said. 

Jackie flashed him a coy smile. "How about after another round of love making?" 

Hyde grinned and kissed her. He loved this chick with every fiber of his being.

_"Let's spend the night together… now I need you more than ever…"_

The Rolling Stones played through the El Camino's speakers. Jackie had chosen the radio station, settling on a band they both liked. She was sitting close to him on the Camino's bench seat, her hand settled in the space between them. Hyde was steering with one hand so he could hold hers. 

They were halfway to Point Place. Hyde wasn't going to beat up Kelso like he wanted to, since nothing had actually happened. But he was still going to give him a good slug in the arm for his bad timing. 

Jackie withdrew her hand from his and reached closer to him on the bench seat. She picked something up and brought it closer to her. 

"What's that?" Hyde asked. 

"It fell out of your pocket. Whose address is this and why are you sending them a letter about what happens with us at the end of the year?" Jackie asked. 

"After I left last night, I was planning to drive to Vegas. The Camino started havin' problems in Iowa, so I stopped at the nearest auto shop. While I was waiting for the Camino to get fixed, I went into this fortune shop. This is where the story gets kind of unbelievable," Hyde said. 

"Good thing I can always tell when you're lying," Jackie said. 

"Yeah, well, I met this lady named Fortune. She said she was an oracle and asked me about you. I told her for some reason. Then she showed me five different versions of the future." Hyde kept his eyes on the road, not wanting to look at Jackie. 

"What happened in those futures?" Jackie asked. 

Hyde explained the first four futures to her. She made comments all the way through, such as: 

"I would never date Fez." 

"You were never a waste of time. I don't think you're a no-good burnout. You're the love of my life." (He had pulled over for a moment to kiss her after she said that.) 

"Marrying you won't be a mistake. I know that for sure." 

"Well that one's just stupid. If you proposed, I'd say yes immediately." 

She was silent after that, waiting for him to start telling her the next future. Hyde chewed the inside of his cheek, debating whether or not to tell her. 

"The last future… I promise I'll tell you about it one day. Just not now," Hyde said. He squeezed her hand as she nodded. 

"So… Why are you sending this Fortune lady a letter about us?" Jackie asked. 

"She wants to know if I made the right choice." Jackie didn't question him further. Instead, she turned up the radio and sang the rest of the drive to Point Place. 

They pulled into the Formans' driveway just in time for dinner. Mrs. Forman must have invited everyone over since Forman had left yesterday. When Hyde and Jackie walked in, Donna, Fez and Kelso were all in the kitchen. 

Kelso hid behind Donna when he saw Hyde. "Don't kill me!" 

"I'm not gonna kill you," Hyde said. 

Kelso cautiously came out from behind Donna, who glared at him. "Stop grabbing my ass!" 

"It was an accident!" Kelso said, stepping away from her.

"You know what's not an accident?" Hyde punched Kelso hard on the arm. 

"OW! That was a good one," Kelso said, rubbing his arm. Hyde smiled at him, then went back to Jackie's side, slipping his arm around her waist. 

"Did you two work things out?" Fez asked. 

"Yep," Jackie said, smiling widely. 

"Yippee!" Fez cheered, doing a weird little dance. 

Mrs. Forman walked in. "Oh, I'm so glad you two made it back in time for dinner! And together, too!" She enveloped them both in a tight hug. Hyde exchanged a look with Jackie. After a few moments, Mrs. Forman let them go. "Dinner's ready!" 

They all followed her to the dining room, where Red was seated at the head of the table. Donna, Kelso and Fez took one side of the table, letting Jackie and Hyde sit together. They passed around bowls of mashed potatoes, vegetables and meatloaf. 

"So, what happened in Chicago?" Donna asked. 

"Has Kelso filled you in on his part?" Hyde asked. 

"Yeah, I told them what happened last night. But we don't know anything after I ran out of the room, so… Fill us in," Kelso said. 

"I started driving to Vegas, but then I realized I was being stupid and drove back to Chicago. Me and Jackie talked things out and came back here," Hyde said. It was the basics of the actual story, because he was not about to tell them the whole truth. 

"I'm sure you did a lot more than just talk," Fez said. 

"I'm sure that's none of your business," Hyde said. 

"I'm sure my foot's gonna go up your ass if you talk about dirty things at the dinner table, Tonto," Red said, pointing his fork at Fez. 

Fez shut up and kept eating. For the rest of dinner, they talked about Forman in Africa, Betsy and everything in between. After dinner, Donna and Fez volunteered to do the dishes. Kelso went home so he could watch the new episode of _Eight is Enough_. Hyde took Jackie down to the basement. 

"When you write your letter to Fortune, tell me so I can write one of my own. I want to thank her for helping you get back to me," Jackie said. 

"You got it," Hyde said. He kissed her forehead.


	8. VIII

Hyde sat on the stairs with Jackie in the Formans' living room. It was New Year's Eve and Forman had come back for a surprise visit. Hyde had picked him up at the airport earlier that day. Since then, Forman had spent every moment of his return with Donna. 

Hyde was nervous as hell. The ring box in his vest pocket seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. He was planning to propose to Jackie tonight. He knew she would say yes, but he was nervous anyway. 

The only person who knew what he was planning was Donna. He'd talked to her about it one day when she was missing Forman. He thought it might cheer her up and he couldn't have been more right. She had immediately perked up and helped him plan it out. 

"Can you believe that at the beginning of this decade I wasn't even dating Michael yet? And we hated each other?" Jackie asked. 

"It's crazy how much can change in ten years," Hyde said. 

"Yeah. I'm glad we stopped hating each other." Jackie bumped his shoulder with her own. 

"You wanna know something funny?" Hyde asked. "On our first date, on Veteran's day, that's when I really started to fall in love with you." 

"Really? Why the hell didn't you say 'I love you' sooner?" Jackie asked. 

"I don't like being vulnerable and you know that," Hyde said. 

Jackie frowned and nodded once. "That's true. At least you say it more often now." 

"Yep. I never want you to doubt my love for you," Hyde said. 

"I won't," Jackie promised. "Especially after we get married." 

"Speaking of which…" Hyde said. Jackie looked at him in confusion as he stood up and walked to the bottom of the stairs. "Come on." Jackie followed him down the stairs. 

Hyde caught Donna's eye and she grinned. Then she turned to the rest of the party and shouted, "Attention, everyone! Hyde has something he needs to do!"   
Everyone turned to Hyde and Jackie, who was looking incredulous. 

"Thanks, Donna," Hyde said. He turned to Jackie and pulled the ring box out of his pocket. He got down on one knee as she gasped and covered her mouth. "Jackie, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You're the only chick I wanna be with. Will you marry me?" 

Jackie shrieked and lowered her hands from her mouth. "Yes, yes of course!" 

Hyde grinned and slipped the ring onto her finger. She pulled him up from the ground and kissed him as everyone cheered. This moment could not have been more perfect. 

Half an hour later, they all stood in the driveway with sparklers, ready to countdown to the new year. Hyde had his arm around Jackie's shoulders. They had a pretty good view of everyone in the driveway. 

Forman and Donna were standing close together, twirling their sparklers around each other. Kelso and Fez were seeing how close they could get to their sparklers without getting burned by the flying sparks. Bob interfered and confiscated their sparklers. Red and Kitty stood cuddled together by the Vista Cruiser. 

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!" 

Hyde kissed Jackie as their sparklers went out. This year would be great. When they parted, they saw Kelso wiping his cheek with his shirt sleeve and stepping away from Fez. 

"Why'd you kiss my cheek, man?" Kelso asked. 

"I am very drunk," Fez stated matter-of-factly. 

"He's also in love with Kelso," Hyde said quietly to Jackie. She giggled. He took her left hand and ran his thumb over her new engagement ring as he kissed her again. 

"This is gonna be a fantastic year," Jackie mumbled against Hyde's lips. 

"It sure is," Hyde murmured back.

Hyde finished off his letter to Fortune. Jackie was beside him, writing her own letter. An envelope sat between them, Fortune's address written on it.   
Hyde read over his letter. 

_Dear Fortune,_

_After I left your shop, I drove back to Chicago. I talked things out with Jackie. I told her about everything you showed me, except the last future. We figured things out and went back to Point Place. On New Year's Eve, I proposed and she said yes. I'm really hoping this is the way to the fifth future._

_Thank you for everything you showed me. Without you, I'd be spending today alone while Jackie fell in love with freaking Fez. She thought that whole thing was bullshit too, by the way._

_Anyway, thanks for helping me get back to Jackie._

_-Hyde_

Hyde still hadn't told Jackie about the fifth future. He planned on telling her when they got to that moment. When they walked inside their home after a day at Funland and their kids raced up the stairs to put on their pajamas. Then, he would tell her. 

For now, he folded up his letter and placed it in the envelope. Jackie handed her letter over for him to read before he put it in the envelope with his own. 

_Dear Fortune,_

_Thank you for bringing my Steven back to me. He told me about all the other things that could have happened. I am forever grateful that you changed the course of our future. He proposed to me on New Year's Eve! We will be getting married once his adoptive brother returns from Africa! I have everything planned already._

_Thank you for helping my Puddin Pop come back to me._

_Love, Jackie._

"Did you have to write Puddin Pop?" Hyde asked as he folded up the letter and put it in the envelope. 

"Yes. She needs to know you're my Puddin Pop," Jackie said. 

"Whatever you say." Hyde sealed the envelope. "Do you really have our whole wedding planned out?" 

"I've had my wedding planned since I was eight years old, Steven," Jackie said. 

"Right. Well, less work for me, then." Hyde smiled and kissed Jackie softly. 

Hyde sat in his chair with Jackie in his lap. They were in a circle; Donna and Forman on the couch together, Kelso and Fez in the other seats. It was their goodbye present to Forman. He had to go back to Africa tonight. 

"I don't want to go back to Africa. I want to stay here, with Donna," Forman said. 

"I want you to stay here too, but you have to go back. It's the only way you can become a teacher," Donna said. 

"Besides, Eric, when you come back next time you'll be back for good! And soon after you come back Steven and I are going to be married!" Jackie said. 

"Yep. We're getting hitched a week after you come back," Hyde said. 

They'd set the date earlier that morning. Yesterday, they'd mailed the letters to Fortune. Jackie had spent the night with Hyde in the basement and this morning they'd talked about wedding dates. 

"Can't wait to be married to you," Hyde said. 

"Aw, Puddin!" Jackie crooned. She kissed him and their friends all booed. 

"No kissing in the circle!" Kelso said. 

"I only have a few hours left in the country and I don't want to spend them watching you two French!" Forman said. 

"I don't mind. It's sexy," Fez said. 

Fez's comment made Hyde pull away from Jackie. He and Jackie would not be the reason for Fez's needs. That was too weird. 

"We should probably head to the airport. I'll see you guys in nine months!" Forman said. 

"It'll be over before you know it, Forman. See you soon," Hyde said. 

"See you, _Puddin,_ " Forman said mockingly. Hyde glared at him. 

Everyone else said goodbye and Donna and Forman left for the airport. Kelso and Fez left too, to get lunch. Hyde and Jackie sat on the couch together. 

"Kinda hard to believe we're really getting married," Hyde said. 

"I believe it. I've wanted to marry you for a long time and it's finally happening!" Jackie said. 

"Yeah, it is." Hyde wrapped his arms around Jackie's waist as best he could considering their current position. "I love you, grasshopper." 

"I love you too, Puddin' Pop," Jackie said.

He kissed her, knowing their marriage would be a great one. Because nothing could change the fact that Hyde loved Jackie with all his heart.


End file.
